New Tech for Old Folks!
- CH33N1.L4NC3
- Oct 21, 2018
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 22, 2018
GLIDING SAFELY WITH WALKING FRAME ON WHEELS
It looks like a basic walking frame, but comes with its own set of wheels and a braking system to boot.
When 87-year-old Leck Peow Joo developed end-stage kidney failure five years ago, her arthritis worsened and she struggled to walk.
"My mum has had arthritis for many years, but the minute she started (kidney) dialysis, she had no strength to lift the frame," said Ms Ng, 56, who is her mother's main caregiver.
Her daughter, Ms Suzanne Ng, worried that her mother would not be able to lift a regular walking frame but chanced upon a new type of walking frame that could be used at home for rehabilitation without the need for a physiotherapist.
Called GlydeSafe, the frame has retractable wheels that allow it to be rolled in any direction and an auto-brake system that is activated when a user presses down on it.
Regular walking frames require users to lift the device with each step, which is more strenuous on the person's back.
"My mum has had arthritis for many years, but the minute she started (kidney) dialysis, she had no strength to lift the frame," said Ms Ng, 56, who is her mother's main caregiver.
"So I chose that walking frame because it just glides."
Design Specs
Ms Serene Tan, 25, developed the frame when she was a student in Temasek Polytechnic in 2011, with the help of a lecturer in her business process and systems engineering course.
"The main function of that motion is to help people learn how to walk again, similar to how parallel bars in the hospital work," said Ms Tan, who worked with physiotherapists to refine the frame's design.
The frame allowed Madam Leck to move around the house with minimal assistance.
"Walking with this is more stable," she said.
Her condition deteriorated further three years ago, leaving her now partially wheelchair-bound.She now mostly uses the walking frame to move from her bed to the toilet and back.
A GlydeSafe walking frame costs between $90 and $110 - slightly more than its conventional counterpart, which costs between $60 and $80.
GLYDESAFE What: A walking frame with retractable wheels What it does: Walking aid for frail users who are unable to lift regular frames Cost: $90 to $110
Around 500 GlydeSafe frames have been sold here and a further 100 in Belgium. It is available from distributors such as Bion Medical Group, Lifeline, DNR wheels, AlphaMed and Healing Hub at Ang Mo Kio-Thye Hua Kwan Hospital.
It is also being used by various organisations here, such as St Andrew's Community Hospital, social enterprise Pro Age, St Hilda's Community Services and Metta Day Rehabilitation Centre for the Elderly.
Cost aside, Ms Ng is reassured that her mother can walk safely using the frame.
"On a flat surface, it's good; it's definitely very safe, and very stable compared with a walking stick."
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